Richard Mille has attended Belles Montres every year since the Parisian trade fair was inaugurated five years ago, an unmissable event for anyone with a passion for watches. The sixth edition to be held in late November will be no exception.
Ever since he created his brand, Richard Mille has been applying techniques and materials from the most innovative sectors, such as Formula 1 and aerospace engineering, to watchmaking in order to create extreme timepieces that are both uncompromising and authentic. All of his watches are based around a triple set of principles: the best of technique and innovation, a strong sense of artistry and structural style that contribute to the comfort of the watch, and the best of fine watchmaking culture with hand applied finishes. Over the past eleven years, more than forty models have helped create a collection that is resolutely focused on the future but which, nonetheless, values the heritage of exceptionally fine watchmaking.
Several outstanding Richard Mille watches will be presented to watch collectors and amateurs at Belles Montres in late November, including the Polo Tourbillon RM 053 Pablo Mac Donough, a watch created by Richard Mille for Pablo Mac Donough, the world number one polo player and a Richard Mille partner. This spectacular, highly technical timepiece owes much of its character to its “armored” barrel-shaped case, which has been designed to withstand the extreme shocks endured on the polo pitch. Another model on display is the ultra-sporty RM 055 Bubba Watson with its characteristic bezel in ATZ, a material whose hardness is second only to that of diamond and which is renowned for its scratch-resistance and unchanging colour. Also of interest is the extra flat RM 033, recognisable for its highly elegant, round tripartite case. Several technical details also distinguish this watch, such as a free-sprung balance with variable inertia, a 42-hour power reserve, and so on. The rectangular RM 016 Black Night, meanwhile, showcases its DLC-treated titanium case and contrasting red flange, complete with a red rubber strap and DLC-treated buckle. The RM 016 Black Night, released as a limited edition of 10 pieces, once again highlights Richard Mille’s resolve to continue using extremely innovative materials.
The “Cube”, designed to highlight truly exceptional creations, is also an important part of the Belles Montres trade fair. The RM 016 watch in white gold set with diamonds and black sapphires has been selected by the brand to grace this privileged area in 2012. The subtly elegant RM 016 is characterised by its rectangular case enclosing a skeletonized automatic movement. Other special technical features include a variable-geometry rotor, a power reserve of 55 hours, hand-applied finishes according to fine watchmaking traditions, and exceptional wearing comfort, just like all the watches in the collection.
This year, as always, a Richard Mille watch will also be presented at the Fondation de la Haute Horlogerie stand. The chosen model is the RM 037, an automatic caliber CRMA1 developed in Les Breuleux, Switzerland, by Richard Mille’s movement engineers. This movement is constructed on a skeletonized baseplate in grade 5 titanium and features an all new stem-crown structure which ensures that the entire movement is fully protected from external interference. As the crown of the RM 037 is no longer linked to the centre of the movement but is connected to the case, it is impossible to remove and thus enables the watchmaker to handle the whole structure more easily while preserving the longevity of the mechanism. Several other technical details characterise the RM 037, such as an oversized date window at 12 o’clock, a function selector at 4 o’clock, two subtly rounded shaped pushers positioned 4 and 10 o’clock, a power reserve of 50 hours, a variable-geometry rotor, a free-sprung balance with variable inertia, and more. Extreme technicality, sophistication and hand-applied finishes according to the finest Swiss watchmaking traditions: the new CRMA1 caliber embodies Richard Mille’s personal vision of innovation.
